Last Resort: Marriage

by Pamela Stone

  CHARLOTTE COULDN’T SLEEP. Aaron hadn’t come home tonight. Why was he so angry? She’d just been trying to help. She was beginning to think he ran his business the same way he lived his life, by the seat of his khaki shorts. Up until their so-called marriage, she’d pegged him as a playboy, plain and simple. But now, she found she’d married a chameleon. He could switch from carefree ladies’ man to temperamental and brooding with no warning.

  She rolled over and frowned at the clock—2:00 a.m. Why was she lying here worrying about it? If she couldn’t sleep, why should her exasperating husband be allowed to?

  Without the benefit of a moon, the night shrouded the dock in murkiness. The deck creaked as she stepped on board the Free Wind and approached the shadowed door that led to Aaron’s cuddy below. An icy chill ran down her spine and she glanced behind her.

  Huge hands grabbed her shoulders and slammed her against the wall. Her heart jammed into her throat and refused to beat. She froze, staring at Aaron’s menacing countenance and his drawn back fist.

  Seconds ticked by like eternity. She couldn’t breathe. Finally, his features relaxed. His fist unclenched and his fingers trembled as he explored her face. “Baby, don’t ever sneak up on me like that,” he whispered, dragging her close. “You scared the hell out of me.”

  She scared him? Charlotte wound her arms around his waist and waited for his breathing to steady. Or was that hers?

  “Next time, say something. I could have—” His heart pounded against her chest and he held her so tight she fought to breathe.

  “Aaron, what’s wrong? Who did you think I was?”

  He backed up and ran his hands through his hair. “I found Thurman snooping around the boat a couple hours ago.”

  “Perry? What was he—?” She didn’t wait for Aaron to answer, but continued thinking out loud. The loan document wasn’t enough. “He’s looking for proof that the marriage is a farce to discredit me.”

  “Is this typical for him or is it more personal?”

  She scrubbed her eyes. “All the Thurman men are at the top of their profession. His father’s a renowned plastic surgeon. His oldest brother started his own software company. The other is raking in a fortune as a New York stockbroker.”

  “And Perry’s still working his way to the top,” Aaron added.

  “Perry’s the youngest. He planned years ago to accelerate his climb up the corporate ladder at Harrington Resorts by marrying me and manipulating his way into Edward’s good graces. I figured out his scheme, but not before I’d sung his praises to my grandfather.”

  He shrugged. “So tell Edward what an ass Perry is and be done with it.”

  “Edward believes that women allow emotions to dictate their decisions. If I admit how much of a fool Perry made of me, it just confirms his opinion. We both lose. He might fire Perry, but it would destroy what little confidence he has in me. Everything I’ve worked for would be for nothing.”

  “I don’t get it. You’re killing yourself to do the old man a favor. Why don’t you just tell him the way it is and see what happens? What’s the worst he can do, fire you? He needs you now more than you need him. There are plenty of other resorts that would trip all over each other to hire you.”

  “I can’t.” Her breath caught in her throat. “I spent my childhood following Edward around, dreaming of being just like him when I grew up. He’d brag to everyone that I was a chip off the old block. I guess he never took me seriously, but I took every word he said to heart.” She blinked back tears. “I have to prove I can do this, not only to Edward, but to myself.”

  Adrenaline dissipated and Charlotte trembled. Her body sagged against the wall, suddenly bone tired. Aaron wrapped her in his arms, but she couldn’t stop shaking. She’d never felt so worn down. There had to be some concrete evidence to ruin Perry.

  AT 5:00 P.M. CHARLOTTE TREKKED up to the Crow’s Nest, the Harrington’s rooftop bar, to see if the Free Wind had returned to port. With the storm brewing, maybe Aaron would come in early. The wind tossed her hair back and the air was fresh with the smell of rain. Heavy clouds rumbled across the sky from the west, but Aaron’s slip was empty.

  She squinted to see if any boats were coming in, but visibility was limited with the drizzle. She got back into the elevator and tried to put the storm out of her mind. If there was one thing Aaron was good at, it was handling that boat. Well, okay, so he was good at a few other things, too.

  By seven, she was back in the Crow’s Nest for the fourth time, scanning the churning sea with more trepidation than she cared to admit. Dark clouds hung overhead, heavy and oppressive. It seemed the storm had settled in for the night. The open-air tables sat wet and deserted. No one with any sense would be on the roof in this weather. As a blinding flash of lightning illuminated the clouds, she shuddered at the thought of Aaron caught in this.

  Was the Free Wind out there among the churning white-caps? She wrapped her arms around her chest and listened to the thunder tumble across the island. Her heart was in her throat. Was this what parents went through when their children stayed out past curfew? Not that her parents would have been home to worry even if she had given them reason.

  AARON WIPED THE RAIN OUT of his eyes as he helped the last of the passengers unload their equipment. He turned and stumbled back against the rail as Charlie launched herself into his arms.

  “What are you doing out in this mess?” he asked, pushing a lock of wet hair off her face.

  “I was worried about you.”

  “Really?” He could feel her heart racing and she was ice-cold. He covered her lips in a warm kiss then gave her a hug and pointed her toward the cuddy. “It’ll only take a minute to finish up here. Why don’t you wait below?”

  She darted below deck while he checked to make sure no one had left anything behind. He hooked up the electricity to the boat, grabbed the cash box, and locked the office.

  Cautioning himself not to read too much into Charlie’s pale face and wide brown eyes, he deliberately slowed his pace down the steps. She was frightened of storms. It’s not like she was afraid of losing him.

  She looked so helpless and bedraggled shivering at his tiny galley table. The French twist she’d meticulously woven her hair into was soaked and falling down. The rain had altered her conservative yellow dress into a sexy, sheer scrap. The thin fabric outlined every detail of her undergarments, right down to the lace design on her slip.

  When she looked up at him, his defenses melted. Her liquid brown eyes reflected more than fear. He dropped to his knees in front of her and held her tight. No woman had ever made him feel like a hero. He ran his hands down her back and soothed her trembling body. The air steamed.

  She shuddered then slowly relaxed beneath his touch. He was in control, right up until the small sigh escaped her lips.

  Control, hell! Gathering her into his arms, he captured her trembling lips and tumbled them onto the berth. He shoved the soggy yellow dress up to her waist and squeezed her bottom. “How do you get this thing off?”

  Charlie sat up and peeled the dress over her head. She brought her lips back to his and wiggled out of her underwear faster than he could get out of his shorts and search for protection. He rolled her over until he was on top and pushed his knee between her thighs. He placed the pillow beneath her head, then filled his hands with her breasts.

  God, she fit him so good. He didn’t want to think about how much this woman turned him on. Of all the women he’d made love to, he’d never experienced anything like Charlie.

  He pulled the sheet over them and she snuggled against his chest. Maybe they should talk about why they were together before he started believing this was real. “Work go okay today?”

  “Things were pretty calm, except my morning chef missed work for the second time this week.” Her body stiffened. “And Edward called right in the middle of us scrambling to get breakfast out.”

  “Why do you let your grandfather control you?” He could not figure out why someone as str
ong as Charlie would let anyone manipulate her into this situation.

  “I love him. I’ve always wanted to make him proud. He’s really a sweetheart.”

  “Right. A sweetheart with a control freak personality!”

  She rubbed her cheek against his chest. “Yeah, but he single-handedly made Harrington Resorts a successful five-star chain and he did it from the ground up.”

  “What do you mean single-handedly? The man barks and an entire army jumps.”

  “Employees, not family. He pays them to jump. Grandmother never worked. He bought the Marathon Key resort for my dad, but Daddy played at working like he did everything else and spent his energy keeping Mom entertained. Edward vehemently disapproves of Don’s lifestyle, but he continues to support him.”

  “He supports everyone because it gives him power over them.” Aaron raised one eyebrow. “And you don’t strike me as the type who likes to be told what to do.”

  She ran one finger around his nipple. “Guilty. But, there is something innately wrong about one member of the family working so hard to support everyone else’s habits. I mean, nobody made him take care of everyone. I admire him for that.”

  “Did you ask him about his heart condition?”

  Charlotte closed her eyes. “I considered it, but the phone just didn’t seem like the right way to discuss something that serious. Too easy for him to avoid the subject. Besides, he wasn’t exactly in a congenial mood.”

  “Perry feeding him crap again?”

  “They are talking daily. Edward knew about the loan.” She twisted the sheet between her fingers. “Aaron, if we don’t find something on Perry fast, Edward is going to promote him to an executive position and I’ll be answering to the jerk.”

  “Did you call Monte Carlo again?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve left three messages, but the only person I know is the manager and he’s on vacation. His assistant said he’d have him call me if he talked to him, but nothing yet.”

  Charlie curled up like an exhausted kitten against his chest and her eyes drifted closed.

  Aaron propped up in bed and held her, lost in the sound of the thunder and the rain pelting the windows. This storm outside would end, but what about the one brewing inside him?

  He wrapped a strand of her hair around his finger. What had begun as a mutually beneficial business arrangement had turned into something…more. They’d started out to save both their businesses, but now he couldn’t walk away until he knew Charlie and her empire were safe from Perry Thurman’s clutches.

  Charlie hadn’t said anything about Boston, but they both knew that’s how this would end. Charlie had no choice now. Whichever way things played out, she’d either be in Boston running things or she’d be there trying to protect the business from Thurman.

  And there was no place for him in Massachusetts.

  His stomach growled and he grabbed his watch off the table. Ten o’clock. Geez, no wonder. He hadn’t eaten since lunch.

  Charlie stretched and arched her back. “I’m hungry.”

  “You should get back to the bungalow.” He eased her out of his arms.

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  He fought to divert his eyes from her breasts as she sat up and the sheet slid to her waist. If he was going to get out of this marriage without it killing him, he couldn’t sleep with her every night. He had to put distance between them. “I think I’ll stay here tonight.”

  Escaping the confusion in Charlie’s eyes, he left her below to dress. He went on deck and took a long drag on the first cigarette he’d had all day. It was stupid to allow her here after the incident the other night. She had no idea how vulnerable she was. Vulnerable to Perry and his underhandedness. Vulnerable to her grandfather’s whims. And worst of all, vulnerable to Aaron and this relationship.

  The best thing he could do was to make a clean break and end this marriage before it consumed both of them. But he couldn’t walk away yet. They’d made a deal. A deal he’d been well compensated for.

  The sooner they proved Thurman was up to no good and set her grandfather straight, the sooner he could bail out of her life and move on. Thurman would be history. Charlie’d move to Boston and he could get back to his old life.

  Still, none of that solved the melancholy mood that had him in its grip tonight. He listened to the rain dripping off the cover. If he started sleeping on the boat, that would give Perry more ammunition to carry back to old man Harrington. If he stayed at the bungalow, might as well hang a flashing welcome sign for Percy to snoop around the Free Wind. The guy had already made one suspicious midnight visit. Aaron wasn’t sure what he was up to, but it couldn’t be good. Just what he needed was for Thurman to sabotage the boat.

  Plus, the bungalow meant sharing a bed with Charlie, and as appealing as that was, it led to more involvement. God, it was going to hurt to watch her pack up and leave.

  He heard her come upstairs onto the deck, but kept his back to her. Maybe if he ignored her, she’d go back to the bungalow.

  She didn’t.

  It took all his control to wait her out, but he didn’t say a word. Finally she walked off the boat.

  He took one last drag off the cigarette and ground it out. He hadn’t taken more than three puffs off the thing. Charlie was the reason he’d been trying to quit and the reason he couldn’t all rolled into one frustrating woman.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Aaron stepped into the Gecko, skimming water from his arms. It had rained every afternoon this week. The bar was bustling with people searching for inside entertainment to pass the time. He took the last available stool and snared the frosty mug of beer Raul slid his way. “Early crowd today.”

  “They started filing in about an hour ago when the first shower blew over. Tropical rain’s good for business.”

  Aaron took a long swig from his beer. “Yours, maybe. It’s beginning to thin out in my end of the world. Between the boat being out of the water almost three weeks and now this rain, my busy season ain’t so busy.”

  “Yeah, well you’ve got mucho dinero now. Why worry?”

  “Thanks, pal. You make me sound like a kept man.”

  “Well, Casanova, you haven’t taken another woman home since your marriage.” Raul handed the guy next to Aaron another drink and flashed his white teeth. “Doesn’t sound like such a bad gig to me. Classy senora, loads of money, renovated boat.”

  Raul seemed intent on getting under his skin. It was working. “All temporary, my friend. All temporary.”

  He glanced around the room. Hardly a vacant seat in the house. Two guys were sitting at the end of the bar. One was a regular, but the other seemed out of place. Could have something to do with his foreign accent. French maybe? He looked vaguely familiar.

  The band cranked up in the corner and filled the room with reggae. Not bad. Better than the classical stuff Charlie listened to around the bungalow. A redhead hovering close to the Frenchman winked at Aaron. He narrowed his eyes and continued to scan the crowd.

  The redhead didn’t waste time making her way over. She wiggled her scantily clad butt in between him and the guy on the next stool and made sure to rub her breasts against his arm in the process. Her thin T-shirt barely covered her large nipples.

  Did every bar come equipped with a woman like her? Did barkeeps order them out of a catalog like furniture or glasses? Over thirty, but still trying to look twenty. Her skirt was wider than it was long and the shirt didn’t come anywhere close to meeting the waistband. He narrowed his eyes at her hand resting on his thigh and cringed at the thought of those bloodred claws coming anywhere close to a certain part of his anatomy.

  She motioned to Raul and pressed against Aaron’s leg. “Can I buy you a drink?”

  Aaron held up the glass Raul had luckily just refilled. “I’m fine.”

  She leaned forward, her shirt falling away and presenting him a full view of her breasts. Didn’t even have to look close to tell they were implants. As boob jobs went, this one
wasn’t even good. He saw her mouth open and was tempted to say her next line for her.

  “Then buy me a drink.”

  He handed Raul enough money to cover his drinks and hers. “Pour the lady whatever she wants. Time I got home to my wife.”

  Aaron grabbed the phone from behind the bar and dialed Charlie’s office. She was working late again so he volunteered to stop by the grocery and cook dinner.

  Standing under the Gecko overhang, Aaron rubbed his eyes. He’d had a thousand girls like that redhead, but he’d never realized how predictable and boring they were.

  CHARLOTTE STOPPED ON THE FRONT porch of the bungalow and shook the water off her umbrella. If this rain didn’t stop soon they were all going to grow webbed feet. She opened the door, looking forward to a relaxing dinner of boiled shrimp. Every woman should come home to a husband with Aaron’s culinary skills.

  But the bungalow was empty. No lights, no welcoming aroma, and no Aaron. Strange. He’d called an hour ago. The man needed a cell phone, but every time she suggested it he argued that he would not be tied to a damn phone 24/7.

  She changed into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, but still no sign of her husband. Switching on the TV for company, she reminded herself to be patient. Aaron did not operate on a time clock.

  The gray sky turned to inky-black as night moved in and Charlotte paced. Sitting down at her laptop, she surfed the Net looking at cell phones for Aaron. He couldn’t complain as long as she was paying for it, could he? Okay, he could. But she needed to be able to get in touch with him. Maybe she should call the Gecko. But he’d said he was leaving when he called.

  She poured a glass of wine and sat down on the sofa, but the TV didn’t offer one channel that could hold her interest.

  The phone rang and she grabbed it before the second ring.

  “Is this Charlotte Brody?”

  “Yes.” Cold chills ran down her spine at the cold tone.

  “Ma’am, this is Officer Perez calling from the hospital emergency room. There’s been an incident on your husband’s boat.”